Surveying instrument

Claim 2

A surveying instrument comprising: optical system means having an optical axis to be coincided with an object to be observed, said optical system means being an optical system block including integrally a telescope, means for producing an electrical signal to display a picture including the object to be observed and display means for displaying the picture; means for designating a designated area of the image in which the object is contained; means for detecting a boundary line within the designated area which surrounds the object using differential processing; means for recognizing the object in the picture surrounded by the boundary line; means for obtaining a two-dimensional geometric optical center of gravity of the object surrounded by the boundary line; and positional deviation detecting means for detecting the deviation of said optical axis with respect to the object, said position deviation detecting means detecting the deviation between the center of a picture frame of said display means and the geometric optical center of gravity of the object; and said display means further displaying the detection result of said positional deviation detecting means.

Claim 3

A surveying instrument as defined in claim 1 further comprising: an input means for inputting data to be displayed on said display means; and means for detecting approximate coincidence of the center of the picture frame and the geometric optical center of gravity of the object, said detecting means producing an indication when the approximate coincidence is obtained.

Claim 4

A surveying instrument as defined in claim 1 further comprising driving means for driving said telescope so as to eliminate the deviation according to the output of said position deviation detecting means.

Claim 5

A surveying instrument as defined in claim 3 further comprising: an input means for inputting data to be displayed on said display means; and means for detecting approximate coincidence of the center of the picture frame and the geometric optical center of gravity of the object, said detecting means producing an indication when the approximate coincidence is obtained.

Claim 6

A surveying instrument comprising: optical system means having an optical axis to be coincided with an object to be observed, said optical system means comprising a light source, an optical system for directing a light beam from said light source to a light reflecting means attached to the object and for projecting the light beam reflected by said light reflecting means onto a light receiving surface of a light receiving means so as to form a light spot thereon, and a light beam position detecting means for detecting the position of said light spot on said light receiving surface; positional deviation detection means for detecting the deviation of said optical axis with respect to the object by calculating the difference between a predetermined position of said optical axis on said light receiving surface and said position of said light spot detected by said light beam position detecting means; and means for automatically driving said optical system according to the detection result of said positional deviation detecting means so as to bring said axis in coincidence with said object, wherein said means for automatically driving said optical system brings said axis in coincidence with the object only when an absolute value of said difference between said predetermined position of said optical axis and the detected position of said light spot is within a predetermined value.

Claim 7

A surveying instrument comprising: optical system means having an optical axis to be coincided with an object to be observed, said optical system means comprising a light source, an optical system for directing a light beam from said light source to a light reflecting means attached to the object and for projecting the light beam reflected by said light reflecting means onto a light receiving surface of a light receiving means so as to form a light spot thereon, and a light beam position detecting means for detecting the position of said light spot on said light receiving surface; positional deviation detection means for detecting the deviation of said optical axis with respect to the object by calculating the difference between a predetermined position of said optical axis on said light receiving surface and said position of said light spot detected by said light beam position detecting means; and means for automatically driving said optical system according to the detection result of said positional deviation detecting means so as to bring said axis in coincidence with said object, wherein said means for automatically driving said optical system brings said axis in coincidence with the object only when an absolute value of said difference between said predetermined position of said optical axis and the detected position of said light spot is within a predetermined value.

Claim 8

A surveying instrument as defined in claim 5, wherein said predetermined value is calculated in response to an allowable range provided by a coincidence value setting means.

Claim 9

A surveying instrument as defined in claim 6, wherein said predetermined value is equal to one-half the value of said allowable range.

Claim 10

A surveying instrument , comprising: optical system means having image pick-up means for receiving an image of an object in the direction of an optical axis of said optical system means and for producing picture element signals; display means for displaying a picture in accordance with the picture element signals; and image processor, operatively connected to said optical system means, including at least means for storing picture frame center coordinates of said display means; means for designating a designated area of the image in which the object is contained; means for detecting a boundary line within the designated area which surrounds the object using differential processing; centroid determination means for determining geometric center coordinates of the image of the object surrounded by the boundary line; and means for determining whether the picture frame center coordinates and the geometric center coordinates coincide based on a deviation between the picture frame center coordinates and the geometric center coordinates.

Claim 11

A surveying instrument , comprising: optical system means having image pick-up means for receiving an image of an object in the direction of an optical axis of said optical system means and for producing picture element signals; display means for displaying a picture in accordance with the picture element signals; and image processor, operatively connected to said optical system means, including at least means for storing picture frame center coordinates of said display means; means for designating a designated area of the image in which the object is contained; means for detecting a boundary line within the designated area which surrounds the object using differential processing; centroid determination means for determining geometric center coordinates of the image of the object surrounded by the boundary line; and means for determining whether the picture frame center coordinates and the geometric center coordinates coincide based on a deviation between the picture frame center coordinates and the geometric center coordinates.

Claim 12

A surveying instrument as defined in claim 8, wherein said image processor further includes at least image synthesizing means for superposing onto the picture displayed by said display means a first indicator indicating the center of said display means and a second indicator indicating the geometric center of the image of the object.

Claim 13

A surveying instrument as defined in claim 8, wherein said apparatus further comprises control means for automatically positioning said optical system means based on the deviation until coincidence is determined.

Claim 14

A surveying instrument as defined in claim 8, wherein said apparatus further comprises audio output means for providing an audio sound when coincidence in determined.

Claim 15

A surveying instrument as defined in claim 8, wherein said apparatus further comprises first and second rotary encoders for supplying rotation information indicating horizontal and vertical rotation of said optical system means to said image processor.

Claim 16

A surveying instrument as defined in claim 8, wherein said surveying instrument operates to bring the optical axis of said optical system means of said surveying instrument in coincidence with the object.

Claim 19

A method as defined in claim 14, wherein the image is from a solid-state image pick-up device.

Claim 20

A method as defined in claim 14, wherein said method further comprises the step of (h) positioning the optical axis based on the deviation if step (g) determines a lack of coincidence.

Claim 21

A method as defined in claim 16, wherein said method further comprises step (i) repeating steps (f)-(h) until step (g) determines that the optical axis and the object coincide.

Claim 22

A method as defined in claim 14, wherein said method further comprises the step of (h) subsequently displaying, superimposed on the display, at least one of azimuth of the optical axis and the deviation.